


Frost

by glitteringeva



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, One Shot, Secret Santa, short story for a friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-20 15:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13149327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitteringeva/pseuds/glitteringeva
Summary: Winter has been adviced to join Amber on her mission to protect her. But there are so many things unsaid between them.A Secret Santa gift for GoneRampant





	Frost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoneRampant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoneRampant/gifts).



Winter had never been her favourite season. Amber was well aware how utterly ironic that statement was now, but she had never liked snow, she had never liked the cold and the lack of colour. If she had to pick one apart of ‘everything that’s not winter’ it probably would have been spring, soft blossoms, the first warm sunbeams on her skin and nature awakening from its slumber.

Amber hated winter. Or Winter. Could have been both right now as she wasn’t sure if she could still feel her toes.

“How much longer?”, Amber asked, leaning on her staff, the snow only getting higher and higher, snowflakes hitting her skin like sharp needles.

“We’re almost there.” Winter acted as if the snow didn’t bother her at all. It probably did, but she loved the role of an Atlas military specialist too much to let it show.

“Everything I see is snow. Sure we’re not lost?”

“I am sure, but take the lead if you want.” Her voice was as cold as Amber felt right now.

“I’d rather hold that against you later.”

Winter didn’t laugh. Amber wasn’t surprised anymore.

The village was smaller than she had expected, but the inn was almost booked out anyway. People probably expected some sort of winter paradise, but right now nothing about winter sounded like anything but a nightmare. But the small room was clean, the bed looked comfortable and it probably could have been comfortable and romantic hadn’t it been for the circumstances.

Amber’s pants and coat were covered with snow. The warmth inside only defrosted her enough to feel the cold again. Even Winter was shivering, trying her best to keep her posture as she took her coat off. The black sweater underneath looked way too casual on her, but she didn’t want to be recognised as a member of the Atlas military and as that it almost did the job. “You should take a hot shower”, Winter said. “To warm you up.”

“You too.”

“You should go first.”

Amber rolled her eyes, but Winter had turned her back on her. Probably batter that way. She couldn’t stand another argument about their roles in this and how important she was, no, how important their _mission_ was.

She didn’t allow herself to stay in the hot shower as long as she would have wanted. She didn’t want to use all the hot water and leave nothing for Winter. She didn’t want her to get sick and at least she allowed herself to admit that. She wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out of the bedroom. Winter sat in the armchair by the window, looking at her with tired eyes and then quickly looking away. She had only taken off her boots, the snow on her pants now melted. They were probably cold and wet. Amber’s clothes were draped over the heater to dry. “Your turn”, Amber said.

“Do you need anything else?” Winter’s tone hadn’t melted, still her professional self.

“You’re not my maid.”

“Dry your hair.” Winter got up. “And put some clothes on.”

“You’re also not my mum.” Amber felt like throwing the towel at her, but Winter closed the bathroom door too quickly.

The good thing was that the bag had kept her clothes dry, the bad thing was that they were still cold. Amber crawled under the blanket, trying to keep warm and not think about how small the bed was and that there was only one.

Winter always looked better with her hair down. Maybe it was because it always felt like she wasn’t sticking to her military attitude for once, maybe because it almost made her feel approachable. She was wearing her sweater again, but not her pants. The sweater reached to her mid thighs but Amber still caught herself staring, quickly looking down at her hands.

“We can stay for a couple of days”, Winter said. “At least one or two. See if we overhear something. I told the innkeeper we’re just a couple on a hiking holiday, so it won’t raise any suspicions.”

“Couple, huh?”

“Stop it.”

“Your words.”

Winter sat down on the bed next to her, slipping under her blanket and leaning against the headboard. “It was the most convincing story. We can’t risk anyone – “

“Sure. Got it. The mission is the most important thing right now, isn’t it?”

Silence hung heavy between them. Amber stared at her hands, going through all the things she had wanted to tell Winter over the last weeks, but right now nothing sounded right. “They have a TV”, Winter said eventually. “Do you want to go to sleep?”

“No.”

Winter shifted, then the TV turned on. She zapped through the programmes until she stopped at some soap opera, nothing Amber had ever expected Winter to watch. She leaned back, staring at the TV, seeing Winter starting to braid her hair in the corner of her eye. She tried not to stare. Tried not to yell at her.

“You know you can’t keep ignoring me forever”, Amber said after a while, clenching her hands around the duvet. “And you can’t keep pretending like nothing happened, because I sure as hell won’t –“

“Are you really going to make me talk about this right now?” Winter glared at her, not able to keep her cold military attitude up as much as she wanted to. “Only because this… thing happened we don’t have to… it was the heat of the moment. They have warned us this might happen between teammates, but we can’t let physical urges influence our mission.”

Amber snorted. “Oh, you think I’m talking about _that_?”

“What else could you possibly be talking about?”

“It was sex, Winter. If you can’t even say it you probably shouldn’t do it.” She rolled her eyes. “But you didn’t act that uptight back in that tent. No, I am not talking about that.”

Amber was almost sure Winter was blushing. Almost. “Then what else are you talking about? You’ve been rather… moody ever since. I thought it was because we never talked about it, not that I felt like we should, but –“

“It’s not about that, Winter.”

“Then what is your problem?”

“What happened the next day.” Amber stared back at the TV where the hero of the story was about to kiss the girl of his dreams. “Remember the ambush? You pushing me out of the window, trying to take them all on your own and yelling at me when I came back to save your ass?”

“The mission is more important than I am and your life is more important than mine. I am here to protect you, because we can’t risk losing another maiden, not so you can do something stupid and risk your life while trying to –“

“If you’re just here to get yourself killed then leave.” Amber stared at her and for a moment Winter almost flinched. “I’m serious. If that’s the plan then leave right now. I’m not letting you risk your life for me if you won’t allow me to save you.” She leaned against the headboard, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Winter any longer. “You can’t make me care about you only to go on another stupid suicide mission again.”

“Amber…” Winter took a deep breath. “You can’t go on missions like this without knowing that you could die for it. None of us wants that, but we all know the possibility is there and accept it.”

“You know, I didn’t choose this.” Amber kept staring at the TV. “I never wanted to become a maiden. I didn’t even know maidens were real until I was one of them. No one ever asked me if I wanted this. It’s not as romantic as it sounds. You have to leave your home, you have to give up all the plans you might have had. Know what’s the first thing they teach you? The person I think about when I die will become the next maiden, so they taught me to think about a certain suitable candidate while fighting so your attacker won’t get your powers. It’s not an uplifting thought when you’re thirteen and always just wanted to become a veterinary. The only reason why I’m doing it is that I can help people. But I can’t let you die for me and I can’t let you join me if you would even consider it.”

“It’s not up to me to be selfish here.”

“No, you don’t understand. I am being the selfish one. Do you think this is just because I don’t want you to die? This whole thing isn’t easy in the first place and I don’t want to live with you having died for me.”

She almost expected Winter to protest again, but then she felt her fingertips on her cheek, gently making her turn her head. Winter’s lips were warm and her kiss shy, hesitant, something that didn’t seem to fit but it made so much sense. She pulled away way too quickly, looking away, her white hair covering half of her face. Her hand still rested on her cheek. “Sorry, I shouldn’t –“

“It always takes you forever to stop acting like you’re a robot who isn’t supposed to have feelings.”

“Technically I’m –“

Amber leaned forward to kiss her again. This time Winter was less hesitant, pulling her closer and softly running her hands through her hair. “You really need to stop… this. We’re not just colleagues on a mission anymore.”

“Then what are we?”

“I don’t know.” For once she felt like she was being completely honest with her. “We’re… partners. At least partners. Let’s start from there.”


End file.
